1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and methods including the use of a releasable barrier for masking. More particularly, the systems and method in one aspect include a barrier sheet including a boundary or edge adapted with an assembly including an adhesive. In another aspect, the invention relates to the use of an assembly including a pressure-sensitive adhesive area. In another aspect, a release sheet is removably affixed to the pressure-sensitive adhesive area.
2. Background
As used herein, the term “masking” generally refers to protecting a first area or volume that is adjacent to a second area or volume upon which, or in which, work is performed.
By way of example, and without limitation, a first area might include a portion of a pane of glass, a second area might include a surface of a frame that holds at least a portion of the pane of glass, and the work performed may be painting the surface of the frame using a brush or roller. In that example, masking protects the glass from exposure to the paint used.
By way of another example, and again without limitation, a first volume might include a first portion of a room interior, a second portion might include a second portion of the room interior including a wall portion to be painted, and the work performed might be painting the wall portion using a paint sprayer. In this second example, masking protects the first portion of the room interior from receiving unwanted amounts of paint intended for use on the wall portion.
There are, of course, countless examples of work that might be performed other than painting. Some examples of such work might include (by way of example only and without limitation): painting, sanding, cutting, disinfecting, heating, cooling, material removal, isolation from external substances, privacy, screening, shading, dividing, separating, and the like. For convenience only, reference is made herein to painting only. However, those skilled in the art will recognize, given the teachings herein, that numerous alternatives and equivalents exist which do not depart from the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention necessarily not be limited by the specific description set forth herein or below.
The most common approach to masking is perhaps the simple placement of masking tape on a surface. For example, the portion of a room ceiling adjacent a wall might be covered with a strip of masking tape, so that when the wall is painted with a brush or roller, paint from the brush or roller is not applied accidentally to the ceiling. Instead, because of the positioning of the masking tape on the ceiling, paint would accidentally be applied to the masking tape instead of the ceiling. When the masking tape is then removed, the ceiling would be left paint-free.
Of course, most individuals-and especially anyone who has ever painted a room-likely know quite well that there are significant drawbacks to the use of masking tape for masking when painting. For example, masking tape typically comes in rolled strips that are ineffective for protecting large areas.
Other devices might be used instead of masking tape to protect larger areas. For example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0221940, which published on Nov. 11, 2004, discloses, among other things, a sealing device for protecting individuals within a building or home against harmful biological and chemical agents outside the building or home comprising a plastic sheet, pre-sized to fit, for example, over a standard-dimension window and having an adhesive strip, the adhesive strip being attached along an outer peripheral edge portion of the plastic sheet for securing the plastic sheet over the window and a method of separating at least one sealing device from a supply roll of identical sealing devices, peeling off a removable backing strip from the adhesive strip in order to expose a tacky surface of the adhesive strip, and systematically adhering the tacky surface of the adhesive strip along a window opening so as to secure the sealing device over the window or window area.
Another example might be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,818,941, which issued on Oct. 26, 2010. The '941 patent discloses, among other things, forming a containment by using adhesive coated plastic sheeting to form an isolated enclosure. The adhesive holds the sheeting under negative pressure and is removable with minimal damage or transfer to wall and floor surfaces. The method includes attaching at least first and second barrier sheet lengths comprising separate lengths of flexible polymeric film in a sealed overlapping relationship to one another to a first surface of a first structural element of the preexisting space and attaching the overlapping barrier sheet lengths to a second surface of a second structural element of the preexisting space while at least partially covering an opening between the first and second surfaces for creating a barrier as part of an enclosure of a desired space with a controlled environment, said step of attaching at least the first and second barrier sheet lengths including using a holding system of each of the first and second barrier sheet lengths that extends over major surfaces thereof, wherein the holding system comprises an adhesive layer that substantially covers a major surface of each of the first and second barrier sheet lengths including an edge zone and an intermediate zone of the same major surface, so that the first barrier sheet length with the holding system is secured to the first surface of the first structural element at both the edge and intermediate zones and the second barrier sheet length with the holding system is adhesively sealed to an overlapping portion of the first barrier sheet length and the first surface of the first structural element,
An example of a commercially available barrier sheet is the Pre-Taped Plastic Drop Cloth, which is available from 3M (Maplewood, Minn. USA). That sheet product includes, among other things, an adhesive along an edge of a sheet, and may be used for edging applications. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary prior art sheet including adhesive along an edge, the sheet being placed to protect a floor baseboard during subsequent painting of an adjacent wall.
Associated with each of those and other prior systems and methods for masking are significant drawbacks. There is no “universal” approach to masking, and most approaches are specific to a limited number of particular tasks while being ineffective for others. Some of the commonly encountered problems with prior masking systems and methods include: inability to cover a large area; approach not adaptable for multiple applications; system poorly sized for a desired application; system and approach requires more than one person to use and implement; inferior strength, leading to sheet tearing; lack of an integrated solution including sheeting and pressure-sensitive adhesive robustly configured for use in a wide variety of applications, etc.
Thus, there has been a long felt need for a masking system and method which is more robust in that it is suitable for use in a broader number of possible applications and is effective without the undesirable side effects of the prior art,